


Stealing Away

by owlmoose



Series: From Dust We Came [1]
Category: Dragon Age, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Character Study, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-26
Updated: 2012-08-26
Packaged: 2017-11-12 22:54:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/496563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/owlmoose/pseuds/owlmoose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kasia Brosca, Grey Warden recruit, considers her early impressions of the surface.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stealing Away

The surface, Kasia had decided, was not nearly as scary as she'd been raised to believe. It helped, of course, that there was nothing left for her underground — even if she could escape hanging or the Legion, Jarvia would make the Carta a living hell for her. And Leske… he’d made his feelings, or the lack of them, pretty clear. Her chest still tightened when she pictured him: his dark eyes, his smooth voice. But no, he saw her as a little sister, if that. Not even taking Beraht down had changed his opinion of her. She _would_ miss Rica, but Rica had a patron, and he'd keep her safe. And Mother too, Kasia supposed. Not that she cared so much about Mother. 

And there was so much to see on the surface! Kasia could barely take it all in: the birds flitting in the trees, their cute chirpy songs, the sweet smell of grass on the hillsides, the feel of a gentle breeze on her cheek. Not that she knew what any of those things were called, at first; she was sure she'd driven Duncan to distraction with her questions, those three weeks they'd travelled together to join the other Wardens at Ostegar. But he never seemed to mind, always answering patiently, sometimes even volunteering information. It was a fun trip, full of new sights and sounds and smells every day, and Kasia was almost sorry when they reached their destination. Camp was exciting, too, but it was also intimidating, filled with people much taller than her, and she doubted any of them were casteless. Duncan was the only person she’d ever met who treated her as though it didn’t matter; although he’d assured her that joining the Grey Wardens had wiped all that away, she wasn’t quite certain she believed it. 

But then the human king had said hello to her — to her, a casteless, a piece of filth the Aeducans wouldn’t even think worth wiping off their boots! She couldn’t even remember what she’d said to him, probably something totally inane, she was so shocked. And she let herself start to believe, a little bit. 

After that, Duncan gave her the freedom of the camp, and only one small errand to complete, and naturally she had to explore first, trying not to bother too many people with questions, and if she lifted a purse or two, who would miss it? The stores of food and weapons and remedies were more than she’d ever seen in one place in her _life_. But soon she discovered the downside of that: most of the soldiers in camp didn’t carry anything. She found a few elfroots — and how wonderful they smelled! — some coin, a poultice or two. And she also managed to sneak a guard’s lunch out from under his nose, to give to a prisoner who’d been left to starve. The prisoner gave her a key in exchange — and wasn’t that burning a hole in her pocket? She’d have to get over to that chest when the creepy mage guy wasn’t hanging around there anymore.

But the pickpocketing just wasn’t enough of a challenge, especially when she was so rarely rewarded; maybe she’d find better marks elsewhere. So she gave up and made her way over to the recruit she’d been asked to find: Alistair. He was tall, too, and not at all bad looking; when she overheard him delivering messages from one authority figure to another, snarking them both in the process, she grinned. She liked him already. 

They traded introductions, and then he took her over to Duncan. The other two new recruits — two more human men, almost as tall as Alistair, she was going to get neckstrain from looking up at them all the time — were already there, but Duncan’s attention was on one of the soldiers, and from his expression, neither of them were happy. “I’m certain there’s another explanation,” Duncan was saying, tone neutral.

“No there isn’t. My man caught her with her hand in his pocket!” The soldier shot a nasty glare in her direction. She glared back, mostly out of habit, but she felt her heart beating faster. Was this going to be trouble?

Duncan’s eyes narrowed. “Careful,” he replied. “You’re talking about a Grey Warden. I would trust her word over your man’s. In any event, I vouch for the good conduct of all the Wardens here.” He lowered his chin as he looked at the soldier, but Kasia had the feeling the words weren’t meant for him. “Are we clear?”

“Yes, Warden.” The officer crossed his arms, bowed his head, and then left, but not before favoring Kasia with another stare. Duncan turned to look at her, eyes dark with disappointment, and Kasia felt her stomach drop into her knees. This was it. He had finally seen through her facade to the worthless brand beneath, and he was going to send her back. She was nothing but a duster, and that’s all she’d ever be. 

“I need to speak with you,” Duncan said, lowering his voice so that the others couldn’t hear, save Alistair who stood at his arm. “You are a fine and worthy recruit, and I know of your talent with—” he paused, as though deciding how to frame it “—sleight of hand. It’s a useful skill, one that will serve you well as a Grey Warden. But the law is hard on thieves. Ferelden still bears mistrust towards our order, so you must practice these skills with caution. Your standing as a Warden will not always help you.”

Kasia swallowed hard, then looked closely at him. His face was stern, but there was something else, there, too. Recognition? A flicker of amusement, even? She should have apologized, she knew, but instead she shrugged. “But I need to practice to get better.”  

“Certainly.” Now she knew she wasn’t imagining it — he was smiling at her, and that twitch had to be a wink. “Just don’t get caught.”   

All of the fear and tension rushed out of her at once, and she grinned back at him. Yes, she and the surface were going to get along just fine.


End file.
